Graphite isn't going to heat up and stick to your glass but it will eventually start to degrade around the edges and is more prone to damage than brass. Graphite is wayyy less expensive than brass. However, if you're not doing production work, I'd go with graphite. I have graphite I've used for almost a decade, doing occasional torching, that's almost as good as new.

I prefer graphite to brass because it is less "grabby". It's hard to explain, but the brass sucks the heat out of the glass so quickly that it kind of feels dead to me after being pressed. It's not something you can see, but there's a feel to it that I personally dislike. Your mileage may vary! Keep in mind, I am one of those people who feels the glass "sigh" sometimes ~ it's just the way my brain works......

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As a press I think brass is more durable. Graphite and brass work differently with glass. Glass slides over graphite without any pulling. Brass grips the glass. For presses this is not a problem as long as it is made well without any undercuts.

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Another thought is that graphite has dozens of various grades and can come in some really poor qualities that would take a good deal of self educating to get knowledgeable on.

Brass only comes in three or four formulations and so can be relied on for getting what you are paying for.

We do have several commercial vendors here that can be depended on here on the LE forum that produce high quality graphite tools.

Graphite is made from carbon and can burn off if exposed to direct flame and is also subject to some wear over time.
Brass has much less of a problem with wear.

Using molds of any sort is going to involve learning heat control in glass and it must also be remembered that molds are more effectively used to 'guide' glass when it is hot enough to be in a plastic state and less as a method of 'forcing' the glass into a form like a glass bottling plant or a molten glass 'hot shop' where liquefied glass is kept in a kiln.

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I have both as well, I like them both, so far the graphite presses I haven't had any problems with. I usually buy presses based on the shape rather than material. I have one perlenpress graphite press that I really like and use a lot that is not offered in brass.